Ruddock on Detention Centres

[The Bigfella]

Yesterday's Weekend Australian Magazine has an interesting article headed "10 things you didn't know about Philip Ruddock, Attorney General".



6 He says the criticism he faced over detention centres had no impact, because he believed in what he was doing. "For me, the sight of refugees from the Horn of Africa languishing in the Kakuma camp in northern Kenya without hope of resettlement was disturbing. They were forfeiting [asylum] places to those with money who could pay the people-smugglers, and that always loomed large in my consciousness."


I find it fascinating that those who criticise this guy the most ignore the irony of their implicit support of bribery and rewarding the privileged in favour of those in real need.:rolleyes:

[seanz]

He comes from a parallel universe where two wrongs do make a right.

[hansp77]

http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/300W/images3.deviantart.com/i/2004/111/0/e/Don__t_feed_the_Troll.jpg

[The Bigfella]

So I guess the guy must be right eh? One of the most criticised (on here) of our politicians explains the thing he's most criticised for - and its a troll?

[Keith Wilson]

Now this is interesting; an Australian political wrangle, quite a welcome change from Bush and Iraq. Care to explain Ruddock and the detention camps to those of us from the other hemisphere?

[skuthorp]

So, what line is Herr Doktor Ruddock pedaling now? Reinventing history? "I was only following (Howards') orders". I see Amanda, who has some integrity has been sacked for not slavishly following the party line. I seem to remember something about "A conga line of suckh***s"
Sorry Igatenby, I cannot agree at all with you about this matter.
The trouble is, when it now comes to what may be the best policy this Govt has had about water and rivers, I cannot trust them here either as the record is strewn with false promises and outright lies, politics over principal in extremis.

[Wild Wassa]

Philip Ruddock is an active member of a Partiamentry Group who's sole aim is to destroy Amnesty International.

Even Philip Ruddock's daughter Kirsty Ruddock who is a human rights lawyer here in Oz, refuses to have anything to do with him.

Phillip Ruddock is Australia's answer to Adolph Eichman. Ruddock is under fire for taking money/bribes for visas from wealthy foreigners while steadfastly standing by his decision to have genuine refugees languishing behind razor wire.

IGatenby once sat beside Ruddock on a flight to Melbourne ... some are still trying to figure if Ruddock's evil rubbed off on Gatenby or viceversa ... but I can't possibly say.

Warren.

[Ian Marchuk]

Since when does a smear job contribute anything to the discussion.
Warren , reread #7 and try to understand that for those of us not very familiar with Philip Ruddock and Aussie politics your contribution
is of dubious (to be charitable) value. Quite the contrary , I am left
doubting your case .
Warren , such a post only preaches to the converted. Would you care to make your case to those on the other side of the world who
do not have the insight that you have?
Evil rubbing off ....??????
Perhaps an exorcism is in order..... sheesh....

[skuthorp]

That's a bit strong Warren, I'd have said Goebells myself. Or lord Haw-Haw. And I don't thik IGatenby is as bad as you paint him, just a different view. I get extremly mad myself Warrem, have all my life. But don't let them consume you too. I try to take a long view myself, in the end we're all dead. In the end man will dissapear. Act locally and try to do the best you can in your circumstances.
Phil's daughter is, let's hope she's not trapped by her father's attitudes, even missionaries think they are doing their best though you might not agree with their motive. I think there's something corrupting about power and who is to say we'd be any different.

[The Bigfella]

Ok - let's see if there is any possibility of a rational discussion.

Lets, take a look at a few assertions from the rabid one:


Philip Ruddock is an active member of a Partiamentry Group who's sole aim is to destroy Amnesty International.


Phil is a member of Amnesty International IIRC - although I seem to recall them asking him not to wear his badge in Parliament.


Even Philip Ruddock's daughter Kirsty Ruddock who is a human rights lawyer here in Oz, refuses to have anything to do with him.


His daughter once (some years ago) said that she chooses to disagree with him on immigration policy but that it didn't stop her sitting around the dinner table.


Phillip Ruddock is Australia's answer to Adolph Eichman.

Typical Wild Wassa quote. Adds immensely to his intellectual credibility.


Ruddock is under fire for taking money/bribes for visas from wealthy foreigners while steadfastly standing by his decision to have genuine refugees languishing behind razor wire.


So - let's see your source for the first assertion. As to the second assertion, you mean the queue jumpers referred to in my first post that paid people smugglers to help them get here? Many, if not most arrived here without documentation so that their refugee status was difficult to determine. Why did refugees from Afghanistan / Iraq etc, feel it appropriate to some half way arround the world if they were genuine refugees, rather than ........ get the picture?



IGatenby once sat beside Ruddock on a flight to Melbourne ... some are still trying to figure if Ruddock's evil rubbed off on Gatenby or viceversa ... but I can't possibly say.

Can't be me. I sat beside Phil Ruddock on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney. I had a fascinating chat about queue jumpers.

Keith - without doing some PhD research on the subject, the issue revolves around that fact that some years back, Australia became a popular target for people wanting to move to where the grass was greener. I'm sure that those in the US and UK are familiar with the issue. Australia operates an immigration program that includes refugees. It became apparent that most of those arriving here were paying extortionate amounts to people smugglers, eg in Indonesia to get them here. A large number of people also died in the process.

Ruddock was the politician with responsibility. He instituted a mandatory detention regime whilst people's bona fides were checked out.

Another, related, aspect of this is that we also have an open door medical treatment policy that is letting foreign nationals rip the guts out of our medical care. Fly into the UK and your passport gets stamped "get sick - you pay" or words to that effect. Here, people with illnesses fly to Oz and go straight to hospital to get fixed. Got a problem? Come here, we'll fix you - free.

[PeterSibley]

Ian...you're getting as silly as Warren.

[The Bigfella]

Oh c'mon Peter - seriously?

[PeterSibley]

Yep...reread you stuff .....a touch too much passion ,you are pushing just a little hard .Ruddock is not a good product to spend your energies on , try water reform.

[The Bigfella]

Nah Peter - not pushing hard at all - I just liked the original comment that I cited by Ruddock - its basically about fairness. I just edited that long post though to get rid of the repeated quote - guess quoting Warren twice is definitely too much.